


My beautiful one, it is only flattery

by MrMenace



Category: The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Denial of Feelings, Developing Relationship, F/M, Falling In Love, Hopeful Ending, One Shot, seelie queen KNOWS whats up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-20
Updated: 2017-12-20
Packaged: 2019-02-17 12:12:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13076637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrMenace/pseuds/MrMenace
Summary: "It wasn’t before the fifth love-letter that he started calling her “My Beautiful One”."A small character and relationship study of Sebastian and the Seelie Queen.





	My beautiful one, it is only flattery

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fic i wrote for my best friend as part of her christmas present (that she has no idea i have been writing because i KNEW what she would want.) Here you go, Inger! I love you <3  
> (this is a bit shorter than what i was originally going to write, so i might make another one-shot for these two later on.)  
> My tumblr is: sirumbraranting.tumblr.com, come scream at me about all the fandoms im in. This is currently unbetad because i am a coward and wont ask my beta to do it.
> 
> Also: i will die before writing the Seelie Queen as straight. Its only mentioned through her past lovers, but make no mistake: she knows gender is an illusion, and gives 0 shits as long as she is entertained.  
> Sebastian is a lil shit in denial. His feelings for Clarie are an obsession, but he wont acknowledge that. He loves the Seelie Queen, and they will eventually have a very loving and honest relationship, but that will take a while, and not quite be a part of this fic.  
> This is also the first time i really write him, so hopefully nothing is too ooc.
> 
> Warnings:  
> -unhealthy obsessions with people  
> -mentions of one-sided incestuous feelings  
> -violence and sex used as coping mechanism  
> -mentions and discussions of manipulation  
> -denial of feelings  
> -sex and sexual humour in one scene (marked with "-start of sex-" at the beginning and "-end of sex-" at the end of the scene)  
> \- anger and threats of violence 
> 
> Please tell me if clarification or additional warnings and tags are needed. Stay safe, my dudes.

There was something special about her.

 

Of course, everyone would say there was something special about her. Even those who didn’t actually believe she was, they would say it just to flatter. The flattery would get them nowhere, and only reveal their own incompetence and stupidity, but some persisted. They often didn’t have long to continue speaking - with her or anyone else.

Those who had ever spoken to her for more than 5 minutes could tell you that something was different. The amount of power that flowed out of her always managed to surprise even her most loyal servants. She did not just have the power of the Seelie court. She _was_ that power.

 

Sometimes he felt odd thinking of her like this. He wasn’t even in her realm, and it had neither been a long or short period of time spent away from her. It was slightly disturbing how much of his thoughts went in her direction now. Loathe as he was to admit, his thoughts were preoccupied with her when they had both just been near each other or spent a long time away. He had not quite realized how much he thought of her until he was shown, suddenly.

 

Once, she noticed his slight frown as she spoke openly of how long it would be until they could meet again. She had laughed, oddly without malice. It had been a warm laugh, delighted and sweet. She had touched his cheek softly.

 

“sweet child, do not worry so. We are both old enough to understand how this allegiance works. It is not out of spite, and I will not come running to you the moment I have the opportunity. You can wait, and it does you no harm to do so.”

 

The words still confused him. he had written them down, word for word, as soon as he left her domain; there had to be some secret to them. They didn’t fit anything of what he knew of her, there needed to be _something_.

 

The longer he examined them, the more certain he was that it had not been filled with more manipulation than was normal. And if that were true, if the queen of farie _cared_ for him….

 

Sebastian tightened his fist in frustration.

 

It _should_ be easy. If it wasn’t a trick, he could use her. It was what he logically concluded, what had been part of a plan all along. Somewhere in his mind he had wanted her for a number of reasons, and the largest had been to manipulate her. He had never thought of it as a likely outcome, but it would at least give him better understanding of such a powerful being. That had, at least, been the intent.

 

But the longer he spent with her, the longer he _pined_ , the harder it was to lie to himself. He did not know when or how it happened, but he had become completely and utterly **infatuated** with her.

 

He huffed as he stood, abandoning the old book in front of him. He couldn’t get any research done like this, not when he was so distracted. He walked, trying to ground himself. After Getting water, he tried not to think much. He needed to clear his mind, keep planning. To ignore all of this…cloud surrounding his thoughts. While used to sometimes reigning in his thoughts, this was new. It wasn’t even like that with Clary-

 

He put the glass down so hard that he was sure it broke, but he didn’t care. It didn’t even register. What did, was the fact that he was thinking more about the Queen than _Clary_. That wasn’t **right** , it wasn’t how things went, it wasn’t what he did. He tried calming himself, thinking of something else. His mind swirled with the realization that the only people he could think of were Clary and the Queen- He could hear her, in his mind: _my morning star_. He shivered.

 

Slowly releasing his clenched fist, he stared around the room at his work. He couldn’t think like this, he needed to do something else. He couldn’t keep thinking about _her_. He needed something else, to either distract or help him think. He rubbed his eyes and packed. Something physical.

 

 

 

 

 

Most mortals assumed she was stupid. They often said she was not, or warned eachother of how dangerous she was. But they seemed to think that because she was fae she could not understand them. That because she could not lie, her words would always deceive. They did not consider that she had far superior ways of getting the results she wanted.

 

Spending centuries alive gave her an advantage. Mortals may be different than her, but she could anticipate them. She operated on a different level, a different pace, than them. Being so different was part of why it was so odd having mortal lovers, but always intruiging and educational. It usually didn’t work out because they misunderstood their relationship, but she had still loved it. They were so small, living from one moment to the next. Knowing that the air they breathed could be the last, that they would perish within the century. But mortals were so _bright_. The little life they had they used frantically. While they could never plan the way she could, centuries of slow political manipulation, their input and confusion was entertaining.

 

Her previous mortal lovers had been entertaining, all for slightly different reasons. She remembered a man who had tried becoming a part of the Seelie court, the uproar it had caused when he almost succeeded. She remembered a woman who used her magic to slowly curry favor with powerful nephilim, extending her life for a century. She remembered the one particularly stubborn mortal that had used their knowledge to insult the clave, so spectacular and thorough that a number of the seelie offered them recognition within the court for their display of cunning.

 

It had been some time since she had taken a lover, much less a mortal one. But Sebastian Verlac intrigued her just enough to do it again. Being both a lover and business partner was a different entertainment, though not a new one. The things that made Sebastian interesting were so layered. He drew her in, just by existing. So unlike his sister.

She knew that she was falling in love. It didn’t bother her much: she had already prepared herself for what to do, and was not new to the feeling. She would make sure to limit herself, to live in the moment but not forget her goals. To distance herself if it was to fast, and she found herself absorbed by him. she had people that would attempt to murder her if she flinched, and that was as good a reminder as any other. She had loved before. It being a mortal was different, but she could safely say that she was dealing with it better than her precious Morning Star.

 

She could see it in him, how he squirmed. She wondered when he would try using it, try to fool himself into thinking that he was manipulating her. It would surely be entertaining, whatever he decided to do.

 

 

 

His fist hit the bag. The sound was deafening, the silent room echoing. He snarled, feet moving him to the side as the bag swung. He hit again, feeling his knuckles protesting. He wanted to hit harder, to feel it. He didn’t move much after the next punch, letting the bag swing onto him. it hit his shoulder heavily, pushing him slightly. He could almost pretend it had been a person running into him, trying to off-balance him in a fight. It wasn’t the same, but being hit felt good.

 

He had been there for a while. First he used the sword, swinging gentle arcs through the air. It hadn’t lasted long, but there were only so many satisfying things he could do alone. The more he did and the more exhausted he was, the clearer he could think. It wasn’t the same calculation he did in battle, but it calmed his thoughts of panic or anger. He could let his mind turn blank, only thinking of things carefully.

 

He wondered if, maybe, manipulating the Queen would stop his obsession with her. He could pretend to love her, do some sappy and old world shit, make a grand gesture, then manipulate her. A part of him knew he wasn’t fooling anyone, but there was only so much punching a bag would make him admit. Infatuation was not love. In any case, playing it as a game could be in his favor. The Queen always loved entertainment.

 

He wandered through options, plans of manipulating the Seelie queen. Grand gestures and posing would seem good, but also a predictable choice. He needed something different.

 

He stopped abruptly, hands lowering. There was something he could do. Some stupid gesture, something she would find entertaining. Love letters. He could write love letters to the Seelie Queen, getting both his infatuation out and further his power base. He would need to research, and calculate every word, but it could be perfect. Others, of course, wrote her love letters; but his would be different. He knew her well enough to not look like a fool. In any case, it would be unexpected.

 

Sebastian spent days on the first letter. It needed to, after all, be perfect. Before then he hadn’t written love-letters, never quite seeing the point. He hadn’t had anyone to write them too, no one to manipulate. While writing, he didn’t need to analyse anything. It became apparent after the first drafts that he could make the best letter if he first wrote, and then heavily edited. He wondered how she reacted to them, writing his third letter.

 

 

 

 

It wasn’t before the fifth love-letter that he started calling her “My Beautiful One”. It wasn’t something that stuck out, or something that others would notice as a shift. But the Seelie Queen had been watching him, seeing him poised to retract at any moment. Always wating for the other shoe to drop, for her to mention the letters. She didn’t, and it made him more nervous. He hid it well, but she had been looking for it.

 

The moment he started using the endearment, she made sure he knew the significance of it was known. She called him her Morning Star at any opportunity, and shared things that were unmistakable as anything but the truth. It surprised him, and he retracted a little. She made sure not to push.

 

She was experienced enough to know that he would never lower some of his walls. There would always be things he would lie about. And it didn’t matter. She wouldn’t say that she didn’t care, but she could deal with it.

 

 

-start of sex-

 

The name, almost a small little confession, started only written on paper. He didn’t speak it, as though doing so would shatter the illusion of it not affecting their relationship. It turned out, he was right. Somehow, though, after the first time he started using it regularly. It was slightly joking, and only when they were alone. She approved, whole heartedly.

 

He slid down her body, practically worshiping her bared flesh on the way. Small kisses, little bites. She shuddered as he went lower, hands tangling in his hair.  The laughs from earlier were long gone, the air almost aggressive. It was obvious that he used sex to relax. Her red hair was above her head, a blanket of soft curls. He wanted to run his fingers through it. He tried seeing as much of her as he could from where he was. He could stare at her for hours, lightly running his fingers over her body. If he ever had enough patience he might try.  She heard him whisper, oh so quietly, as he paused above her. “So beautiful”.

 

She chuckled slightly, petting his head. He froze momentarily, and she could practically hear his frantic thoughts. “you flatter me so, with the name you give me. You truly are precious.”

 

He quickly found his footing, but she knew how nervous he was. The tension that had started leaving his body returned. It was almost a shame, if she didn’t take such sadistic glee in seeing him squirm. “Why of course, only the best for you.”

 

Only after he said it did he realize how that might be seen as a condescending insult. She raised her eyebrow as he sat up, looking like he was about to speak. She stopped him with a grin. “Indeed. You practically worship me in some of those letters.”

 

He couldn’t hide his shock as she pulled his hair, his head moved above her stomach. “I wonder what other ways you could worship, given that wit of yours. And, of course, that skilled tongue.” She teased, smirking down at him.

 

On more familiar ground, he grinned. “oh, would you now? I suppose I can’t deny my Queen.”

 

She was about to respond, but he did indeed have an expertly talented tongue. She couldn’t resent him for how he ended her teasing.  Instead, she giggled and moaned. There was always later for that.

 

-end of sex-

 

her name for him was used more than his for her. It was almost a title now, reminding him of who he was. That was at least what she liked to believe, if his reactions were anything to go by.

 

He was angry. It wasn’t the normal anger she had begun associating with him, the slow simmering below the surface. This was an explosive anger, lashing out at anyone. She sat on her throne, a servant frantically trying to stop him as he approached her. She let him.

 

“The Queen is not to be interrupted unannounced-” Sebastian snarled at the servant blocking his path, hand shaking as it pointed.

 

“She **will**. Now get out of my way.” She could see his small control slipping, breaking.

 

Another seelie huffed indignantly, and the Seelie Queen sighed. This could get messy. The noble pointed to Sebastian, arms crossed mockingly. “She is not yours to order. I would recommend you leave, before embarrassing yourself further.”

 

He really must be stupid, if the sight of her Morning Star didn’t intimidate him…she would reevaluate his position in her court later. For now, it was enough to see Sebastian about to cut him down.

 

“Are you honestly that stupid? Should I put a hole in your head, see if there is anything in there?” his voice rose, and the Seelie Queen moved her arm. There was no helping it. Vines found the noble, curling around the man. He let out a surprised yelp, spluttering. She sent a vine towards Sebastian, stopping once it had grabbed his hand. He didn’t exactly calm down, but he did have the discipline to stop.

 

“Leave us.”

 

She didn’t have to repeat herself, only stare at Sebastian unflinchingly. The noble stumbled after she released him, scrambling out.  Everyone practically ran from the room, leaving her alone with the shadowhunter.

 

She didn’t release his arm as she rose from her throne, slowly walking towards him. he stayed silent.

 

“Hello, Sebastian.” He growled, trying to shake the vine off. It only tightened.

 

“Why do you even call me that? You know it’s not my name.”

 

She tilted her head, pursing her lips. “Would you rather I use your given name?”

 

He didn’t answer. She raised her hand, placing it on his cheek. He jerked as though slapped, left hand grabbing hers harshly. She ignored it.

 

“Names have power, Morning Star. We make our own to protect ourselves, and to indicate position. The mortals use them recklessly, hurting each other with them. They don’t think, and while their ignorance can be explained it is not forgiven.”

 

His anger calmed, and he looked relaxed until he tensed again. Some walls she wouldn’t tear down.

 

“You say that as though I’m not mortal.” His tone was still biting, but she could ignore it. There were few things that made him loose control, and if it had something to do with his name it had something to do with Clary Fairchild. The longer she spent with Sebastian, the more annoying the shadowhunter became. She might have to plan something later…

 

She laughed, caressing his ear with her free hand. “well, you don’t _act_ like one, so why should I treat you like one of them? You are infinitely more interesting, in any case.”

 

He didn’t smile, only lowering his head. It was such a show of weakness it took her off guard, eyes widening. Her vine released him, but he didn’t move if further than to gently lay on her hip.

 

She tilted his head, staring into his eyes. Slowly going from black to green. “I think it’s time to rest, Morning Star. Mortals are so annoying, its tiring just to speak with them. Mostly due to their immense stupidity.” Sebastian snorted at that, moving. He held her arm, leading to her bedroom.

 

Later, when he thought she slept, she heard him sighing. “My Beautiful one, I think I might love you.” His hand carded through her hair, slowing until he fell asleep. She only opened her eyes when she finally heard him snore. She looked at him, his face so peaceful. It made her feel vulnerable, hearing his love, but she somehow didn’t care.

 

There was something special about him, she decided.


End file.
